A 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling has placed stricter limits on law enforcement officers' use of Tasers.

The ruling, which addressed a North Carolina case in which a mentally ill man died after being shocked five times by police, states that officers can no longer use their Tasers unless the suspect poses an "immediate safety risk."

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"Law enforcement officers should now be on notice that such Taser use violates the Fourth Amendment," the 47-page ruling states.

Law enforcement agencies in five states are affected by the decision, including police agencies in South Carolina.